Laundry-marker.



J. D. CALDWELL.

LAUNDRY MARKER. APPLICATION FILED DEG.15, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

&MGW M/G' J D. CALDWELL.

LAUNDRY MARKER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC 15 Patented May 2, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HR W0 g5 M m MW 0 2f W 0 M m! I I mg. '4 Mfr/5555 U n entree JOHN D. CALDWELL, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO CALDWELL COMPLETE LAUNDRY MARKER COMPANY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

LAUNDRY-MARKER.

991,132. Specification of Letters Patent Patented May 2, 1911.

A Application filed December 15, 1909. Serial No. 533,290.

' To all whom it may Qmcern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Laundry-Markers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing. machines such as employed in laundry markers of the class illustrated and described in my pending patent application, Ser. No. 472,081, filed January 13, 1909.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is the improvementin electrically actuated devices for controlling and affecting the printing movements. of a head containing a series of settable type elements.

The invention consists in a novel construction,.adaptation and combination of parts as on line 44 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5is a diagrammatic view of the solenoid-magnet and the circuit connection therefor.

The machine is provided with a chambered base 10 and a casing 11 which is supported thereabove by a standard 12. At the front side of said casing is a vertical slot which is bounded upon the sides by parallel inwardl directed ribs 13 which serve as guides tbr slideways 141 provided in the lateral edges of a plate 15. Extending forwardly from said plate is a neck 16 to which is rigidly secured a head 17 wherein is mounted for individual rotary movements a series of rings, or disks, 18, which are severally provided with peripherally disposed type characters as illustrated and described in the referred to patent application. The plate 15 is also provided to the rear with slotted lugs 15' wherein are engaged the ends of a transversely disposed rod 19 whichis carried by the forwardly directed companion arms 20 of alever which, as bestshown in Fig. 4, is fulcrumed to a rod 21, having its ends supported in sockets 22 provided in, -or'secured to, the side walls 23 of the casing 11. The opposite arms 24 of this spring latch 44 engaging in a notch to afford a connection with the upper ends of helical springs 26 whose lower ends are connected with the bottom wall 27 of the casing. More particularly, said springs are each connected with such bottom wall by means of a screw-bolt 28, Fig. 1, extending through an aperture of the wall to receive an adjustment nut 29 therebelow to afford means for regulating thetension of the respective springs. The function ofthese springs is to actuate said lever to yieldingly retain the head 17 in its elevated position as illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1 and to restore the head into such inoperative position subsequent toeach printing movement thereof. The plate 15 is further provided with a rigid arm 30, which extends rearwardly and is connected by a pin 31 with the armature-core 39. of a solenoidmagnet 33. This magnet is fixedly secured to the bottom wall 27 of said casing. Vithin the frame-base 10 is a block-34 of nonferruginous mat rial, which furnishes the support for electric switches 35 and 36.

The switch 35, as seen in Fig. 3 desirably consists of circuit terminals 37 and 38 secured to the opposite sides of another block 39 of an insulating substance. This block is bored to receive a vertically arranged stem 40 and is counterbored from the top to accommodate a collar 40 of the stem and a spring 41 therebelow which tends to elevate the stem. Said stem extends through a plate 42 which serves as the contact member of the switch. In order that the plate underside of the stem-head 43 by a spring 55 positioned between the contact member and the stem-collar 40.

The switch 35, as represented in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 5; is interposed in a circuit wire (1 extending to the magnetcoil b. The block 39 whereon are secured the switch terminals ,37 and 38 is detachably connected to the block 31 by means of a rovided in one of the pins 37? or 38 pro ecting downwardly from the block 39 through apertures provided in the other block.

utilized as electric conductors together with lever are connected by a transverse rod 25 i metal strips 37 and 38' connecting the pins with the respective terminals. Thepins are furthermore connected to metal strips 37 and 38 against which the complementary parts of the circuit wire a may be secured by the ordinary binding screws. Said coil' is likewise connected by a" plurality of tapwires C C and C with the contacts 45 and 45 of the switch 36 whose contactpiece 46 is connected with the other circuit wire at. Said contact-piece comprises a metal arm secured to the lower end of an upright rod 47 extending above the framebase and carries a crank-arm 48 thereabove through an aperture provided in said base.

This pin is located to engage the stem-head 43 so that when pressure is put upon the topplate 51, the stem will be carried thereby down to cause the closure of switch 35' through" the instrumentality of the contact member 42. 53 is a guide rod extending downwardly.

from lates and through a hole to the framease. y

When the apparatus is to be operated by a direct current, I employ with the aforedescribed devices, a condenser 54, indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 5,,which is connected by wires f and g with the. circuit wire a at, or in proximity to, the switch contacts 37 and38, respectively.

The operation of the invention is as follows: After the type-rings 18 have been adjusted to assemble predetermined of the type characters upon the printing line, or

in the same vertical plane with the platen 50, the articles to be marked are placed, one at a tune, uponthe platen to be successively marked by the previously set type being pinged thereagainst. 'Such prlnt-ing movement of the head is effected by depressing the plate 51 with one of the operators hands to cause the corresponding downward movements to the pin 51 and the stem 40 to lower the contact plate42 into contact with the v switch terminal 37 and 38 and thus complete the circuit which includes the magnet-coil b.

1 Whe'reupon the magnet is ener 'zed to at tract the armature core 32 an draw the same downwardly together with the head 17 into the position indicated bybro'ken lines in Fig. 1 to effect the aforesaid printingoperation. I

When the plate '51 is released, the sprin s 41 and 26 assert themselves to respectively open the switch 35 and to raise the head into its normal position asindicated by full lines in the view.

In the performance of its duty there will be articles presented for marking which should beimpressed to varying amounts and to meet such a demand, the magnet-coil would be more or less cut out byutili zing that one ofthe tap-wires C C or C which would render sutficient length to render a suitable magnetic power to accomplish the desired force of the stroke to the head 17. This variation of the efl'ective power of the magnet being regulated by swinging contactfpiece 46 into electrical contacts 45 45 or 4:5 to accordingly regulate such power.

What I claim as my invention, 1s

1. In a laundry-marker, the combination of the machine frame comprised of a base and a superposed casing, said casing being provided with a front opening, a platen supported by the frame base, a printing-head slidably mounted upon guides provided at the opposite sides of said opening, an arm fixed rigidly to the head, an electro-magnet fixedly connected to the frame casing, the

armature 'of'said magnet which is connected I directlyftosaid arm, a normally open circui-t for said magnet, a switch for closing the circuit, and a spring-controlled depressible .member extending through the frame-base and in proximity to said platen for actuating the switch to close said circuit.

2. In a laundry marker, a casing, a printing head slidably connected with the casing for vertical movements, an arm rigidly connected with the head, an electromagnet, a

solenoid core for said magnet and connected to said; arm, a switch in the magnet circuit for closing the latter to cause said magnet to become energized to eifect the printing movement of said head, slotted lugs projecting inwardly from the head below said arm, a rod extending through said slotted lugs, and a spring-controlled lever connected with ing the head to its inoperative the magnet is deenergized.

3. In a laundry-marker, the combination of the casing, a head slidably connected with position when said rod andv constituting means for restorthe casing, a plurality of settable type members carried by the head, an electro-magnet fixedly secured to the casing, an armaturecore connected to and movable with said head, a normally open circuit for said magnet, a switch for closing said circuit to, en

ergize 'the magnet to impart printing movement to the head, and a spring-controlled lever having a rod and slot connection with said head and adapted, to elevate the head from its printing position.

4. In a laundry-marker, the combination of the casing, a head slidably connected with the casing, a plurality of settable type members earned by the head, an electro-magnet fixedly secured to the casing, an armaturecore connected to and movable with said head, a normally open circuit for said magnet, a switch for closing said circuit to energize the magnet to impart printing movement to the head, a condenser electrically connected with the circuit at opposite sides of the first named switch, alever having a rod and slot connection with said head, and a spring influencing said lever to move the head from its printing position when the magnet is deenergized.

5. In a laundry marker, the combination of the casing, a head slidably connected with the casing, a plurality of settable type members carried by the head, an electro-magnet fixedly secured to the casing. an armaturecore connected to and movable with said head, a normally open circuit for said magnet, a switch for closing s'aid circuit to energize the magnet to impart printing movement to the head, a'condenser electrically connected with the circuit at opposite sides of the first named switch, a second switch arranged to selectively conduct the current to said magnet over oneof a plurality of elements provided in said circuit for regulating the power of the magnet, a lever including, a pair of parallel arms between which said core extends, said lever arranged within said casing, slotted lugs projecting inwardly from the head, a rod connected to the arms of the lever and seated in said lugs whereby the lever is loosely connected with the head, and a spring influencing said lever to move the head vfrom its printing position when the magnet is deenerglzed.

6. In a laundry-marker, the combination of the casing, a head slidably connected with the casing. a plurality of settable type members carried by the head, an electro-magnet fixedly secured to the casing, an armaturecore connected to and movable with said head, a normally open circuit for said magnet, a switch for closing said circuit to energize the magnet to impart printing movement to the head, a second switch arranged to selectively conduct the current to said magnet over one of a plurality of elements provided in said circuit for regulating the power of the magnet, a condenser electrlcally connected with the circuit at opposite sides of the first named switch, and a spring tending to elevate the head from its printing position.

7. In a laundry marker, of a casing, a base for the casingl a head slidably connected with and projecting from the casing, a plurality of settabletype members carried by the head, an electro-magnet arranged within and fixedly secured to the bottom of the casing, an armature arranged within the casing and fixed to and movable with the head, a normally open circuit for said magnet, a switch arranged within said the combination base for closing the circuit to energize the magnet to impart. printing movement to the head, a switch arranged in the base to selectively conduct the current to said magnet from one of a plurality of elements provided in said circuit for regulating the power of the magnet, a condenser electrically connected with the circuit at opposite sides of the first-named switch. a spring-controlled depressible member extending in the base for actuating the first-mentioned switch to close said circuit, a platen arranged 1n proximity to sald member, and a spr1ngcontrolled lever loosely connected with the headand arranged within the casing and adapted to elevate the head from its printing'position.

8. In a. laundry marker, a casing, aprinting head slidably connected with the casing for vertical movement, an arm rigidly connected with the head and extending in said casing, means engaging with said arm for shifting the head downwardly to effect the printing movement-of the head, slotted lugs projecting inwardly from the head below the arm, a rod extending through said slotted lugs, and a spring-controlled lever pivotally-mounted within said casing and connected with said rod and constituting means for shifting the head in the opposite direction.

9. In alaundry marker, a casing, a head slidably connected therewith and projecting therefrom, a plurality of settable type members carried by the head, means for shifting said head in one direction to cause the marking of the laundry, slottedlugs integral with said head and projecting in said casing and arranged in proximity to each side of the head, a rod extendin through and projecting from said slotted ugs, and a spring-control-led lever provided with a pair of arms connected with said rod, said lever pivotally mounted in said casing and constituting means for shifting the head in the opposite direction after marking the laundry.

10. In a laundry marker, a slidable printing head, means for shifting said head to effeet the printing, an arm projecting from the head. slotted lugs integral with and projecting from the head and arranged below said arm, a rod extending through and having its ends projecting from the lugs, a lever in-' eluding a pair of arms fixed to the projecting ends of said rod exteriorly of the lugs,

a pivot for the lever, and a retractile spring" means for operating said element in one weirdly-extending arm projecting inwardly direction to effect the printing, and a spring- I from said head and varranged over said lugs controlled lever connected to said rod for and constituting means for connecting an 15 restoring said element to inoperative posielement for shifting it in one direction, a

tion. rod extending through the lugs, and a 12. In a laundry marker, a slidable head spring-controlled lever connected to the ends adapted to be provided with type elements, of the rod and adapted to shift in the head a pair of slotted lugs integral with and proin the opposite direction.

j ecting inwardly from said head, one of said JOHN D. CALDWELL.

lugs arranged in proximity to one side of Witnesses:

the head and the other of said lugs in prox- H. BARNES,

imity to the other side of the head, an in- E. PETERSON. 

